Adventures of Vile Island
by Charlett
Summary: Zidane has dragged his friends along to train on the fabled Vile Island.  Can the group survive the audacious cuteness of the Yans that inhabit it?  My money's on the Yans, personally...
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, I was playing Final Fantasy IX. I was doing sidequests before heading off to Terra and I mentioned the existance of "Yans" to my sister. She told me to go see what they looked like. I grudgingly saved and obliged. 

Yans are the CUTEST things on the PLANET. Seriously. Cute as hell. So the moment I got myself horribly mutilated by them, I took it upon myself to write a story about them. And the group. Fighting them. For justice or something.

I mean, I like Tonberries, but I want Yans to appear again in other Final Fantasies! Yaaans, come back to me!!

Anyway, this is the first half. The second half will be less funny and more kick butt action. Hope you enjoy it.

READ ON!

Final Fantasy IX:  
Adventures of Vile Island

Four Warriors of Light waited patiently for the Invincible to land on the island. Freya Crescent walked out of the ship, casting a wary glance at Zidane Tribal, who was practically shoving Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, under the alias "Dagger", out the airship. Following close behind was the bellowing royal retainer, Adelbert Steiner. He shook his finger disapprovingly at the genome, "Zidane! I demand you tell us why you have landed the airship out in the middle of nowhere! Of course, Choco already found some treasure on this island, but what else could be out here?"

"Calm down, Rusty," Zidane said with a smug smile, "We're here to train."

The captain blinked, "To train?"

"Hey Dagger, did you here that? There's an echo in here," Zidane winked at the princess, and she gave him a look, "Really, this island is the best place to train our skills. This place is called 'Vile Island'."

Steiner was, as usual, skeptical, "Vile Island? I've never heard of it… Just what are you talking about?"

"Pray tell, Zidane," Freya murmured, placing her hand on her helmet and pushing it up slightly so he could better see her piercing gaze, "Why is this place called Vile Island?"

Zidane found himself surrounded by people who didn't hang on his every word. Maybe he should have kept Quina and Vivi around… at least THEY followed him blindly wherever he went… "Well, you know… 'they' call it that…"

"They…?" The two knights blinked at each other, "Which 'they'?"

"You know, the Dwarves of Conde Piete…" Zidane pulled out a bundle of white papers and began reading them off, "Apparently there were very few Dwarves that during their pilgrimage to the Iifa Tree, ended up here on this island. Some actually survived to tell the tale. They call the monsters that live here 'Yans'." The Genome's tail swished when he was certain he had won, "You see?"

Steiner reached out to grab the papers, but Zidane pulled them back like a child who didn't want to give up his most precious toy. The knight struggled with the genome for only a moment, with the women waiting patiently for the men to stop making a scene. The captain let out a triumphant roar when he grabbed one of the papers and inspected it closely, "Wh… where did you get that anyway?" He asked, showing it back to Zidane again, "Didn't Conde Piete get destroyed by the roots of the Iifa Tree?"

Zidane was caught. His tail twitched in agitation, and turned to Freya, who placed her hand on her hip. He turned to Garnet, who mumbled something about "Did he get them beforehand…?" He then turned back to the disapproving frown of Steiner, and puffed himself up, "The… The Black Mages had them! Yeah, that's it!" The genome shouted, grabbing the paper back and stomping off into the woods, leaving a very confused knight in his wake. The women went to catch up with Zidane, and he snapped his fingers, "Oh yeah! I just remembered!" He turned and pointed at Freya, "I had promised Quina that I'd let him/her try some Yan. Would you be a doll and switch with him/her?"

Now it was Freya's turn to be flustered. She gave a huff that sounded like a sneeze, "Fine then. You take that Qu along. I'll wait back at the Invincible." She turned and leapt off, intent on returning quickly so her rage didn't build any more than it already did.

Zidane waited until Quina Quen and Steiner caught up to he and Garnet, "Hey, Rusty, I think Vivi would be a better choi…"

"Oh no you don't!" The knight shouted, making Zidane stick a finger in his ear from the pain, "If you even think of taking along the princess, I shall remain here to make sure you don't get her hurt!"

"Steiner… please…" Garnet murmured, even though she was glad to have him by her side. She clasped her hands together in thought, "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"This forest all brown…" Quina muttered in passing as the men continued to glare daggers at each other, "No good food here. We go back now."

"Relax, Quina, the good stuff's inside, I'm su… Holy crap what the hell?" Zidane leapt nearly a foot, his tail's fur stuck on end as a creature emerged from the bushes. It was that very creature that had rubbed its horn against the thief, "Oh man, everyone, battle stations, it's…"

"…It's a Yan…!" Garnet breathed in awe. She rushed over and dropped into the dirt to get a better look, "Ohhh, how adorable… these are the monsters you're talking about, Zidane? They don't look so mean. They're adorable."

The Yan let Garnet rub under its chin. It looked like a cross between a ewe and kid. The thing was so tiny, the princess was able to pick it up and hold it in her lap. The Yan's horns were barely poking out of its head. It gave a squeak as if to ask for more ministrations, and Garnet obliged happily, "Don't worry, darling… no one is going to hurt you…"

"Stay away, Dagger! Those things are dangerous!" Zidane said, watching another emerge from the foliage when referring to them as "those things", "Get away, they're going to…"

"Zidane!" Steiner gasped when the thief rushed forward, weapon swinging. The Yan not being held by Garnet let out a tiny noise (that made the princess coo at it), and suddenly the genome was blown back by a gigantic sneeze. Quina and Steiner watched as the thief tumbled in the grasses, far off in the distance.

"Awww, is that your guys' defense mechanism…?" Garnet asked. She squeezed the one in her lap in a hug and placed it back on the floor, "That's absolutely adorable. Zidane's all wrong about you guys, I'm sure."

"To think, he would attack such defenseless creatures," Steiner said with an air of anger. Garnet smiled; he would never admit it, but she assumed he liked cute creatures as well, "Quina, I forbid you to eat them."

"You no fun…" The Qu grumbled, waddling up to peer at them, "Their eyes so big. Must be nutritious…"

Garnet blinked when the Yan she had been holding squawked at her with a hop and smile. The princess stood and smiled at the other two, "I think they want us to follow it," She spoke the obvious.

"Don't… don't do it!" Zidane said, dragging himself towards the group, leaning on the Ultima Weapon for support, "D… don't you see? They're vicious!"

Garnet looked the genome up and down. He was covered in scratches, and he had a limp. The princess placed her hands on her hips, "You say that now, Zidane, but it was you who attacked first. The Yan was only protecting itself. You should realize that."

"D… Dagger!" The genome gave a gasp when the three went to follow the Yan, "You've got to believe me. They're hiding something, I swear!" The thief kicked the dirt as the group disappeared into the woods, Steiner following behind Garnet and Quina muttering about tasties. He gave a groan and grabbed at his hair, "I can't believe this…" He said, "Come on, you guys! Wait up! My foot still hurts, you know!"

---

"About time you caught up," Steiner said, the man was (for once) the one who was smug. Zidane hissed as he rubbed his leg.

"Very funny…" Zidane muttered, "Hey, Quina, you believe me, right? These guys are really evil."

"I just so hungry…" Quina groaned, "Where is good food…?" Zidane placed his hand on his head as the group continued after the Yans. They hopped up and down, leading the four through the forest, and eventually Garnet, who was leading the humanoids, pushed back some foliage and gave an excited gasp. She turned to the others and beckoned for them to hurry.

"Everyone!" She said, "Look!" She pointed down the way, and waited for the others to catch up. They stared at what she was motioning towards, and Quina stared in mute rapture.

"It's a village," Steiner said plainly. In the middle of said village was:

"F… F… FOOD!" Zidane (thankfully) got out of the way before he was trampled underfoot by the Qu, who rushed down to eat the feast that the Yans had apparently prepared for their guests. Garnet and Steiner nodded at each other, and they followed him/her down as well, "I eat everything! It all look so delicious! It not illusion like all other ones, right?"

"Is this what you led us here for?" Garnet asked those who she had just met. The two Yans hopped up and down, squeaking and babbling in their strange tongue. She took that as a "yes", "Oh, Zidane, could you think of anything more wonderful than such nice creatures?" She smiled as the village's Yans leapt from their tiny homes, greeting the guests with happy rapture. They surrounded the three and nudged them towards the food. Garnet giggled and obliged them, settling down. She gave a small cry when Quina plopped near her, causing a shockwave. Steiner stood behind the princess at attention, and Zidane mumbled profanities under his breath.

"Don't you see, you guys?" Zidane asked, "Come on! Look at all the food! It's like… CAKE, and… and PIE. I mean, what kind of feast is that? Do they want to make you fat or something?"

"Zidane, could you for once accept that maybe you aren't right all the time?" The knight asked. The thief winced, and Garnet turned to Zidane, a pleading look in her eye. He finally gave a sigh, and sat down next to her.

"So… Dagger…" He said, a smile on his face, "Can we share some of that pie…?"

---

"So that's that," Amarant Coral said. Freya nodded.

"The four are training. They said they'd be back by nightfall. No sense in sleeping in the middle of the forest and all that."

"No fair!" Eiko Carol hissed, stamping her foot, "We need training too! How come everyone else gets to train and we have to sit here like lumps? I say we follow them!"

"I'm not sure that's a really good idea…" Vivi Orunitia murmured, twiddling his thumbs, "I mean, if we all leave, who'll take care of the Invincible?"

"Who's around here?" Eiko shouted, "There's no one! Who'll HURT the Invincible? I mean, if we hang out in here, and we're attacked, it's going to get hurt anyway!"

Freya sighed, "Everyone, please…" She said, "I think it would be best if…"

"If we saw just how hard these 'Yans' really are…" Amarant said, uncrossing his arms and approaching the other three, "Unless you're all afraid?"

Freya glared at the monk, and Eiko leapt up in the air and flailed, "Yeah right! I'm not afraid of any Yans! I bet I could kill all of them in my sleep!" And then she dropped to the floor again. Vivi knelt down and twiddled his thumbs, effectively curling up in a ball.

"I don't know… Zidane said they were hard… do you really think we could win…?" The Black Mage murmured lightly. Since Zidane wasn't around, all courage and self esteem seemed to fly irrevocably out the window. Eiko, however, was around to bring it back up (so much for "Irrevocably").

"You're such a baby," She said, "If you really need me to take care of you, I'll make sure nothing happens. Alright?" Vivi looked up at her, and she smiled, "Alright?"

The Black Mage nodded, "Uh… uh huh…"

"Then it's settled," Amarant said, pointing at the three of them, "We're off."

---

Steiner felt awfully strange. The Yans would not cease nudging him as he stood at attention. It wasn't terribly annoying, but he did feel inquisitive about the whole thing, "If there is a reason for your pushing, Little Ones, perhaps you would tell me?" He asked them. The Yans smiled at him and hopped up and down.

Garnet seemed to be a master at understanding what they wanted, "Steiner, I think they want you to join the festivities as well," She said, "All of us are eating. I think they're worried about you."

"But… Princess…!" Steiner saluted Her Majesty, "A knight must be ever vigilant in case of attack!"

"By what?" Zidane said, smirking lightly, "I thought you were the ones who said these guys weren't evil."

"You fool!" Steiner shook his fist at the Genome, "If these Yans are kind, then there must be other monsters out in this island that are horrific! We must be ready in case this village is attacked! These creatures are practically defenseless!"

"Whatever you say, Rusty," Zidane replied with a shrug. He turned back to the feast and his tail snaked up around Garnet's waist. The Genome heard a series of clanks, and a rock slapped him in the back of the head. He whirled around and glared at the knight, who pointed at his eyes and then at Zidane. The thief glared back, which was halfway between a pout. "Rusty" then placed his hands behind his back and continued to be watchful, completely ignoring the nudges and pushes from the Yans around him.

---

Zidane had left the feasting a while back, mostly because he still felt something was wrong. He wandered about the village, chomping lazily on one last piece of pie. As he searched the place, avoiding the stares of other Yans, he lightly pushed on other Yans that shoved him happily back towards the food, "Look, you guys," The Genome said, "You're scaring me. Leave me alone, alright?"

It was then that they suddenly turned around and left as if they were actually listening to the Genome (hah, like THAT would ever happen), and Zidane turned to see the real reason they had left. There was one other Yan, who seemed a little different from the others. He had different coloring, and his horns were different. It was as if it were a completely new species of Yan, "Hello!" It suddenly spoke, "Have you met my friends?"

Zidane took a step back, surprised that it could speak his language. Then he remembered. He snapped his fingers and knelt down to speak with it, "Hey, you're one of the friendly monsters we've met, huh?"

"Have you met my friends?" The Yan asked again. Zidane smiled.

"Oh yeah, I've seen them all," he counted them off as the Yan smiled at him, "You know, the Mu, the Jabberwocky, the Garuda, the Feather Circle, I've spoken to them all. Are you the last one?"

The Yan he was speaking to seemed to look down at the floor, "So you've met them all. You're a nice person…"

"Just call me Zidane," The Genome said, "What do you want?"

"Well…" The Yan looked up at him, "If you give me a Diamond, I'll tell you a secret. I'll tell you the secret of this island."

"Hey, you will?" Zidane asked, "Thanks, Little Guy," He fished around for the Diamond and handed it off to the creature, and he thanked the thief profusely.

"You must leave!" The Friendly Yan suddenly spoke once the item was in his possession, "The others of my kind are not friendly! They plan to do something devious to your friends!"

"You're preaching to the choir," Zidane replied, "It's just that the others don't believe me. What are your people going to do to everyone?"

The Friendly Yan blinked his giant, adorable eyes at Zidane, "You can't tell?" He asked the Genome, "The village takes outside creatures and does what it can to fatten them up. Then they sacrifice and disembowel them, eating them alive."

Zidane stared at the Friendly Yan, then turned to the other Yans, and back to the Friendly Yan, "Are you… SURE they're capable of something that devious? Besides, how do you disembowel people? You guys don't have opposable thumbs!"

The Friendly Yan glared back at the Genome, "If you don't believe me, then that's fine! I thought you were nice, too…"

"Look," Zidane said, shaking his head and standing up, "We'd better talk to my friends. I'm sure they'd believe you if you told them instead of me." The Genome gave a shout when he felt the other Yans pushing on him again, and he shooed them away, "Hey, you guys! That's my leg YOU guys hurt! Stop it! Get away!" He stopped short when he saw the Yans glare at him, their adorable eyebrows were knit, and their sweet smiles showed off their canines. They looked suddenly a lot more menacing than before, "Heh… heh…" He laughed, "You guys thought I was actually going to tell my friends to leave and leave you without anything to sacrifice and eat…? You guys have got it all wrong!"

The Genome gave a shout when a comet appeared, heading straight for him. The Friendly Yan hopped away and Zidane scrambled to avoid the strike, "Alright, Plan B!" The thief picked up the Friendly Yan and held out his hand, "FLEE!" A bright flash appeared and the Yans grasped their adorably huge eyes, blinded. The thief took said moment to run like hell, "Steiner! Dagger! Quina! Where the hell are you guys when I need you?"

---

Steiner looked up at the other side of the village, and squinted lightly. He then gasped, his eyes wide, and knelt down to nudge Garnet, "P…Princess!" He said, kneeling before her, "I could have sworn I saw a Comet spell being cast!"

Garnet, who had taken a moment away from feasting to take a light nap in the soft grass, rubbed her eyes and sat up, "Are you sure, Steiner?"

"Quite positive." He stood up and continued to speak, "Should we alert Zidane and Quina?"

"We'll have to speak to Zidane, at least. Quina's gorged him/herself so much I doubt s/he can walk…" Garnet stood and grasped her racket, "Let's go!"

"Stay behind me, Princess," Steiner said with a salute, "I shall cover you!" And with that, the two rushed towards the scene, passing by Quina, who was lying on his/her back, muttering something like "Can't eat anymore…" Garnet shook her head with a smile at the Qu, and she suddenly slammed into the knight in front of her. Steiner had stopped short and she rubbed her nose.

"Ohhh, Steiner, what's wrong?" She asked, trying to hide the tiny trickle of blood that was running down her nose.

"Princess! Please forgive me!" Steiner said, saluting Garnet, "It's just that I saw Zidane running…" Steiner closed his eyes in frustration when Zidane also ran into him. The thief had been running so fast that he didn't have time to stop. Steiner sighed, "He was running this way… I wanted to avoid hitting him."

Garnet strained to look behind the giant man, and Zidane was rubbing his head, a Yan in his hands, "You guys!" He suddenly said, leaping up and wiping away the trickle of blood that was running down his nose, "You have to believe me, this Yan's a friendly monster and he told me that these other Yans want to eat you and we gotta escape now or we'll all be disemboweled and sacrificed!" Steiner and Garnet looked at each other, and the thief held out the differently colored Yan, "Listen! Listen!"

"It's true," The Friendly Yan said, struggling with his tiny legs to get released from Zidane's grasp, "You're all going to be sacrificed and eaten after getting fattened up. If you don't escape now, I don't know what they'll do to you…!"

"By the Light of the Crystal!" Steiner swore (badly, mind you), "We leave this place as soon as possible! If these Yans are truly looking for fattened specimens…" The three gasped in realization, and they all said in unison that: "Q… Quina will be eaten!"

The three scrambled over each other to check on their Blue Mage. They arrived at the feasting area, and Garnet cried out, placing her hands over her mouth. The entire feasting area was empty, "Quina! Where'd s/he go?"

"S/he must have been caught by the Yans," Zidane said, shifting his weight so he could hold the Friendly Yan better, "For now, we'll have to rely on Dagger to keep us in top condition in case there's a battle." The thief suddenly gave a snerk, and the two looked at him, "heheheh, 'in case'… Man, I crack myself up." Steiner rolled his eyes.

"For now, we must…" Garnet was interrupted when the three heard menacing growls. Zidane placed the small Friendly Yan on the floor and the three stared at the Yans that had them surrounded, "Ahhh… Zidane…?" She looked at the Genome, "Please… PLEASE tell me you have a plan to fight these things…"

"I… DID…" Zidane muttered with a half smile, rubbing the back of his head, "But it kind of involved Quina and his/her 'Night' spell…" The princess's eyebrows upturned, and she looked at all the nasty Yans that surrounded them. The moment she turned away, Steiner reached out and grabbed Zidane's collar, dragging the Genome closer to him.

"Hey Steiner!" Zidane said, "I know it's my fault! You don't have to rub it…"

"Take care of the Princess, Zidane," The Genome blinked at Steiner, who released his rival and drew his sword, "I will do what I can to create a distraction."

Zidane blinked. He stared at Steiner, and suddenly smiled, "Oh! I get it! Good joke!" He said. He then frowned and said rather quickly, "I was lying, I don't get it. Tell me again why getting yourself mutilated horribly by these monsters will make everything better?"

"Zidane, the last thing I need to hear from you is your incessant whining!" The captain hissed, biting back his curses only because of Garnet's presence, "You're good at running, and I'm good at fighting. You'd better take good care of the Princess or I swear to the gods above and below that…"

"I got it, I got it…" The Genome said, "Just make sure to keep yourself alive, alright?" Steiner nodded, but said no words, and Zidane huffed. He turned to Garnet and stood by her side, "Hey, Dagger, Steiner and I have a plan. You have to trust me that when I say 'run', you run, alright?"

Garnet looked at Zidane, a question in her eyes, "What are you talking about, Zidane?"

"On the count of three, Steiner!" Zidane wrapped his hand around the princess' wrist, and she turned to her retainer, trying in vain to ask him what was wrong, "One… Two…"

On three, Steiner lifted his sword and drew out its Seiken abilities, "Climhazzard!" The Yans hissed and screamed from the damage, and Zidane started off with the princess, "Run!"

"But…! Steiner!" Zidane and Garnet easily leapt over the tiny Yans that were incapacitated for a moment from the strike, but they weren't defeated yet. All huge adorable eyes were on the assaulter, and Garnet screamed when she realized what was happening. She dug her heels into the floor to stop the thief, "Zidane! Zidane, they're countering!"

The Genome hissed and tugged on the princess' wrist, "I understand! Right now we have to… Holy…" Zidane stopped for only a second when he saw the Yans' reply to the Climhazzard, and realized that stopping now was the worst plan on the planet. Garnet insisted that they return to help save him. The thief had other plans. Wrapping one arm around Garnet's waist, and another around her mouth, he decided not to let "Rusty's" death be in vain. He continued to run, with the Summoner tucked tenderly under his arm. She kicked and ripped at Zidane's arm, screaming about the loss of her retainer, and Zidane suddenly stopped.

"W… What…?" The thief said, "He…heheheh…" Garnet gave a squeak when he placed her on the floor and practically hugged the monk that appeared from the foliage, "Boy, am I glad to see you guys!"

The four glared bloody murder at the one who had left them behind.

---

"So that's what's been happening," Amarant said after Zidane explained everything.

"Yeah," Zidane replied, "After we escaped from the Yans, they pretty much countered, leapt on top of, suffocated and ate Rusty." He winced when he remembered Garnet was next to him, and he turned to see her biting on her knuckle so hard a trickle of blood ran down her finger, all to keep from showing any tears. Zidane concluded that being a princess sucked, "Also, apparently Quina's going to be sacrificed and eaten, probably in a more gruesome way than Steiner back there."

"And you want us to do… what…?" Freya asked as Vivi shrunk into the shadows and hid his face in the brim of his painty-he… I mean pointy-hat.

"We have to split up, gang!" Zidane said enthusiastically. Everyone stared at him, "No no no, hear me out. See, the longer we leave Steiner out there, the less of him there will be to revive. However, if we all go to get him, Quina will undoubtedly be eaten and will blame a late rescue on us and probably eat a few of us as compensation (you know, after s/he is revived). Therefore, the most logical explanation will be to split into two groups and save both of our respective lost characters at once."

The others seemed skeptical. Freya expressed so, "I'm not exactly sure this is a good idea, Zidane. After all, if you four couldn't defeat these Yans…"

"We have to be prepared, no more 'it's so cute!' crap, alright?" The Genome said, "Amarant, could you take Vivi and Dagger to find Quina?"

The monk snorted, "And how do you suggest I go about finding our morbid obese glutton?"

"I know!" The group looked down, and Zidane smiled sheepishly.

"Heh, this is our… friend. He's a Yan, but he's a Friendly Yan," The Genome explained.

"Zidane gave me a Diamond without thinking twice. He was so nice…" The Friendly Yan dug its cloven hoof in the dirt, "I want to help you guys! I'll tell you where they're planning on sacrificing your friend."

"Thank you," Garnet said, "But Zidane, why do you want me to go with Quina?"

"Because we know Steiner's out of commission, whereas we're not SURE about Quina. I want to bring Eiko so she can use her Full Life spell. You understand, right?"

"Zidane…" Vivi murmured, "Wh… what if I can't fight the Yans? What if I get in the way…?"

Once again, the Genome played the leader and knelt down to speak to Vivi, "It's going to be alright, Vivi. I'm sure you'll do great. Besides, since I'm not going to be with Dagger, I need you to take care of her for me. You can do that, right?"

The Black Mage looked up at Zidane, and nodded, "A… Alright! I can!" He said, "You can count on me, Zidane!" Amarant shook his head and started off.

"Come on. We'd better get this over with," He said with a growl. Vivi and the Yan followed the self proclaimed (Amarant was a pretty special guy to be able to proclaim things without even saying a word) leader, but before Garnet could follow them, Zidane reached out and took her hand. She turned and looked at the Genome, and he shrugged.

"Look, Dagger," He said, "Bringing everyone here was my fault, and I intend to make it all better."

"Zidane, I understand," Garnet replied, "But right now, time is of the essence."

"Dagger…" Zidane looked at her, his bright eyes shining as he spoke, "In all seriousness, do you trust me?"

Garnet thought that was a silly question, "Of course I trust you, Zidane."

Zidane got the feeling she didn't quite trust him, "Don't lie now, Dagger. If you don't trust me, you can say so."

The princess interrupted Zidane by taking his cheek in her hand and kissing him. The Genome's tail thrashed, the only thing that gave away his emotions, and he decided that she probably DID trust him. Zidane felt a little sad when she pulled away. It was such a chaste kiss, the thief felt they should have been making out and tumbling in the grass or something… SPECIAL. Princesses and their need to keep themselves "unblemished". Oh well, it came with the territory, he supposed, and he wouldn't trade Garnet for all the greatest kissers in the world.

Or would he…? Nah… he wouldn't… But what if…? NO.

"I guess it's just us then, huh Zidane?" Eiko asked, placing her hands on her hips from the smooching that happened just moments ago, "Let's hurry up and heal that stupid knight. How come whenever Dagger's in danger, it's always ME who has to clean up after the splotches he makes on the floor?"

"Oh, come on, Eiko," Zidane said playfully, "You know you like the splotches he makes. They're always a mite pastier than Amarant's or Freya's." Freya gave a snort that reminded him that she was there. She was still mad as hell at him, but she was much more professional, and wouldn't let it get in the way of her work. There was a knight's mutilated corpse to save, after all.

She just hoped that they didn't have to save it in the first place...

To Be Continued...

---

Hope you guys enjoyed it! See the button? It's called "Review". It's a magical button that gives you all your dreams and wishes. It's just that you guys have to tell me how much this sucked (or was good) first. Thanks much.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright! Part 2 and the end! Alright, a few things I need to explain:

1: Some of these things are actual tactics to defeat Yans. Use them... IF YOU DARE DUNDUNDUN

2: I totally twisted the canon around by claiming that Friendly monsters are actually Morphers (A class from FFTactics Advance) that have taken the guise of monsters. You never know it could be true! But anyway I'm just saying not to whine about like "omg I don't get it because I never played Tactics Advance!" because if you haven't, you should. It's a good game. Really.

Oh yeah, the name "Sarisa" was TOTALLY not taken from Princess Sarisa also known as Faris from FFV. TOTALLY NOT. So don't ever think it was. Because it WASN'T.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this ending. I really think the ending is weak compared to the beginning, but whatever. Anyway:

READ ON!

Adventures on Vile Island  
Chapter 2

"Follow me, everyone!" The Friendly Yan said, hopping over to one of the largest clearings where no buildings were located, "This is where my people sacrifice those who we capture."

Amarant stared down at the Yan. Hearing him say "we capture" made the monk wonder if perhaps the creature was really as friendly as Zidane claimed. Nevertheless, his newfound trust in the Genome made him keep his claw from rending the creature in two. He pointed forward and mentioned that, "Apparently they already know about our rescue mission."

"What do we do…?" Garnet murmured as five Yans came to meet with the four. She looked at the Yan in her arms, "Do you have any idea what to do…?"

The Friendly Yan thought about this, and looked up at Garnet, "Do any of you know a spell that can hit all of them at once?"

"And have them counter…?" The princess cried, "It…! We can't do something like that!"

"I can," Vivi said. The two looked down at the Black Mage, and even though he shivered with fear, he nodded at the Friendly Yan, "I can hit them all. Should I?"

"Not now, you need to be Reflecting spells first," The Friendly Yan spoke. Garnet began to understand, and placed the Yan on the floor so she could cast Reflect on Vivi. The tiny mage held one of the group's Pumice Piece in his hand, and he grasped his staff firmly in hand. Once he had the Reflect on, he shooed the group away. Garnet grabbed the Friendly Yan and Amarant glared at the mage, as if daring Vivi to get himself killed. The Black Mage gulped and, with his staff in hand, began to chant.

"Doomsday!" The tiny boy shouted as loud as he could. Garnet and Amarant ran even faster. The two really REALLY were glad that the kid was on their side as a huge meteor (combined with… oh… about seventeen OTHER huge meteors) formed just two (hundred thousand) miles above them. It wouldn't be that scary if it wasn't on a direct course on the five Yans' and little mage's head.

The Pumice Piece absorbed all the damage that Doomsday would have dealt to Vivi, but he was left with some rather angry Yans. Vivi quickly lost most of his morale, and he turned to run away now that he was done with his spell, "Please please PLEASE someone tell me what to do next!"

The Yans began to cast a spell in retaliation. Except it was a spell, which meant that it bounced right off of the Black Mage. Vivi turned slowly as he saw the Yans have their magic sent directly back to them. He stared and blinked at the creatures, and saw them lift off in the air. Instead of making Vivi light as a feather, the Yans were stuck floating in the air. The Black Mage nearly leapt a foot in fear when Garnet walked up behind him.

"Good work," The Friendly Yan said, "If you would?" He turned to Garnet. She placed the creature on the floor and he rubbed his nose. Amarant watched as the creature made the most adorable noise on the planet, and the five floating Yans gasped when the Friendly Yan sneezed. Their light-as-a-feather bodies sailed off into the stratosphere.

Amarant squinted at the Yans as they flew off, and snorted angrily, "They don't seem so hard…" He grumbled, striding forward. Vivi and Garnet looked at each other, shrugged, and followed the monk. The princess thanked their friend profusely, and the Friendly Yan smiled in return.

---

"How do you expect to get us out of this, Zidane…?" Freya asked nonchalantly, as if they were just having a conversation. Eiko was hugging the Genome with a whimper as the Yans surrounded the three. The thief scratched his nose, and thought heavily.

"Uhhh, you have Dragon Crest, right? It can do some good damage," Zidane suggested. Freya twitched with annoyance, her rage only building.

"And get me killed as well? That's just like you, Zidane…" She hissed. One of the braver Yans suddenly cast another Comet spell, and Freya trembled with rage. Zidane cried out when a flash appeared and the comet was burst apart before it could reach the Burmecian. It was shattered by the Dragon Hair she held. The flash died down, and Freya stood in the traditional garb of a Draconic Hero, her armor shining with all the colors of the rainbow. Zidane wondered why she was so mad that she Tranced… She didn't SEEM angry a while back…

"Go get them, Freya!" Eiko shouted. Freya looked at Zidane, smirked, and lifted off into the air. The thief waved her encouragingly, and suddenly remembered that he and Eiko were still surrounded Yans, "Hey, Zidane…?" The Summoner squeaked, "You have a plan for US, right?"

Zidane gulped, but before he could answer that, the air was filled with spears, lances, and other various pointed objects. Many Yans were struck down by lucky blows, but the remaining Yans just got mad. The thief smiled at the fact that their enemies couldn't fight back against the Burmecian in the sky. What he didn't realize was that what they couldn't attack, they took out on friends. The creatures all turned and glared at Zidane, who gulped lightly. All the Yans braced themselves to strike at Zidane and Eiko, and the Summoner gave a shout, "Zidane!" She screamed, "Zidane, DO SOMETHING!"

Zidane wanted to run. But where? Dammit, they were surrounded…! "Eiko, I'm going to try and…" He stopped when he saw something fall around the two. Looking up, he saw some powder floating downwards, and he realized too late what was going on. He decided he needed to do what he did best.

Protect Girls.

"Zidane…?" Eiko asked, her voice muffled as the young man covered her mouth with his own hand. She didn't know why he was suffocating her, pinching her nose closed and refusing to let her breathe. She looked up with fear at the powder that fell across the two, and she realized what it was. It was Viral Powder, and Zidane was losing the color in his face. The Yans were killing the Genome as he wrapped his arms protectively around her and refused to let her be damaged.

She could feel his strong, warm arms around her body, and she tried not to take in any air as he held her. She held on tightly to the Genome as Freya, still in the air, threw down her spears and lances. Even more Yans met the same fate as the ones before them. She shut her eyes and tears ran down her face. The thief began to sag, and she could tell that he had no energy to keep upright. She suddenly heard a small, adorable sound. The next moment, Zidane and Eiko were sent sailing off into the air, a victim of yet another Yan's sneeze. Despite Zidane's lack of energy, he was able to hold tight to the young Summoner as they tumbled along the floor. They stopped only when the Genome ran full force into a tree.

Eiko stayed still for a moment, as she was both too afraid to move, and she didn't want to leave Zidane's hold. Eventually, though, she looked up at the Genome, and gulped at his closed eyes. She squirmed from his grip, and checked his prone form. His spine had snapped from slamming into the tree, and the virus had eaten through his life. He was as dead as a doornail. She heard Freya's lances again, and turned to see the remaining Yans die, lying around in a heap like some morbid pyramid. The Summoner sucked in a deep breath and knelt down to tend to the thief. She stared at his face; he looked so peaceful, as if he were only sleeping… A sudden, fleeting thought entered her mind, and she closed her own eyes, leaning in for a kiss… _Just one kiss,_ she thought, _and I won't have any regrets…_

Eiko then remembered Garnet and Zidane's kiss. The Genome liked it. The two were always going to be together… The Summoner opened her eyes, and looked at the deceased Genome. With a disappointed sigh, she stood up and raised her hands, chanting: "Full-Life!"

Zidane groaned, and after recovering quickly, he looked at Eiko and hopped up, "Hey, Eiko, you alright?"

"Thanks to you!" Eiko said, unusually bright. Zidane smiled at her, and she dug her foot in the dirt, "Zidane…?"

"What's up, Eiko?"

"T…thanks for saving me…" She murmured, a smile on her face. The thief chuckled and walked past her, beckoning her to follow.

"Right, let's go find Freya and revive Steiner, alright?"

Eiko leapt happily in the air, "Alright!" She agreed, landing on the floor again. The two walked back to the former battlefield, and the thief gave a shout when a lance landed right next to him. Freya landed expertly on the floor with Dragon Hair in hand.

"I'm sorry, Zidane," The Dragon Knight said with a smile, "Did I scare you…?"

"Jeez, Freya!" The Genome shouted, "Be careful where you land! I already had to be revived once!"

"Oh, really?" Freya said, her smile widening, "I'm sorry to hear that." Zidane had a funny feeling she wasn't terribly sorry to hear that, "Now then, shall we search for the captain in here before these corpses start smelling?"

"Ohhh, this is so stupid…" Eiko groaned.

---

Eiko ended up sitting and waiting for the two to sift through the corpses, mostly because her groans and shouts revealed that there was no way in HELL she was going to continue ruining her clothes on something like that. Zidane groaned as he threw another Yan over his shoulder, the corpse making a satisfying "splat" as it dropped away from the others. The Genome blinked. He could have sworn he saw something rusty amongst the sheepy wool. He dug further, and smiled widely when he came up with a gauntlet that was poking up from the pile of corpses, "Hey guys! I found him!"

The Summoner looked up and hopped over to see how bad the captain's condition was. Zidane was able to drag the corpse out alright, but he was missing plenty of things: a few fingers on one hand, the other hand, an eye, half of his lips… that kind of stuff. Eiko groaned at the sight, but rolled up her sleeves (figuratively), and began to cast, "Ready? Full-Life!"

Zidane smirked and his tail twitched in delight as Freya extended her hand, helping the fellow knight stand without slipping on the Yan blood, "Hey Rusty, you'd better wash that all off or you'll be even more rusty than normal!"

"Very funny…" Steiner glared at Zidane, adjusting his helmet so it sat easier on his head, "Now then," He looked around, and smiled at the thief, "I can assume everyone is alright then?"

"Of course!" Zidane said, pointing to himself with his thumb, "You can always count on GRRRK!!"

Steiner interrupted Zidane by snatching the Genome up with one hand clamped around his neck. The captain easily lifted his captive above the floor, "How can you be so sure…?" The knight said, his face turning redder by the second, "When you're NOT watching the Princess like I EXPRESSLY told you to?"

"W… watch it, Steiner…!" Zidane gagged, his tail and legs flailing in the air. Eiko shrunk down as the young man continued, "I let Amarant take care of her!"

"You WHAT!?" Steiner roared. Zidane learned that that was a bad idea, "Amarant would sooner use her as a shield than protect her from any harm! You fool, the Princess could be in danger at this moment and you left Her Majesty to revive ME?"

"V… Vivi's there too…! I doubt D… Dagger'll get hurt if… he's there…!" Zidane gurgled, running out of air.

"Oh… Master Vivi's with the Princess?" Steiner dropped the thief and seemed a whole lot better. Eiko went to tend to Zidane's bruising neck, "Then that's alright. Either way, we must find the others and do what we can to escape this place." He walked over the corpses and started off, "Come now, everyone, before something happens to the Princess!"

Zidane was still trying to breathe and didn't have the oxygen required to worry about Garnet and the others. It was his turn to be lifted up by Freya and helped across the way. Eiko followed closely behind the three, but looked up and stared at the sky. Something seemed weird. It was as if night were coming faster than normal…

---

"Insomniac?" Vivi asked.

Garnet nodded at the two, "Yeah, are you all Insomniacs?"

"Why do we need to be?" Amarant asked, his arms crossed.

"Well… Zidane said something about Quina's Night spell. If we can just get him/her to cast it, then we might be able to sneak him/her away while these Yans go to sleep," Garnet explained, "Isn't that a good idea?"

"I suppose…" Vivi said, turning to Amarant, "Why don't we try it?" The monk appeared to be in thought, and the Black Mage lowered his head. Suddenly, Amarant leapt at Garnet, who took a step to the side. A Yan scout that was hiding in the foliage gave a scream but it was too late. The man in dreadlocks lifted the monster up. He had stabbed his claws right through its adorable, huge eyes.

He flicked the monster off with an air of disgust in its lack of strength, "Right. Insomniacs. Vivi, you use Flare if needed. I'll keep them at a distance. We've got a glutton to save."

Garnet smiled at the man. It was really one of the first time she ever heard him say "Save" and "We" in a sentence, much less the same one, "Alright!" She said with a nod. The Friendly Yan cheered, and the three went deeper towards the sacrificial altar, where Quina sat, happily munching on various pastries. Vivi counted the Yans that surrounded Quina, and gulped unhappily, "H…how are we going to fight all these Yans at once…?"

"Can we just have this thing sneeze them again?" Amarant asked, placing his boot on the Friendly Yan's head. Said Yan sighed.

"I can't just sneeze all the time, you know…" he said, "We need to try and get your friend to cast that Night spell. We Yans are very susceptible to the night. We can't look at the moon without falling asleep. Any ideas…?"

Garnet thought about it, and Amarant groaned. He strode forward, making Vivi squeak in horror and the princess wince as she imagined the pain that would be brought upon the monk. Amarant showed no fear. He lifted his hand and pointed at the Qu, "Quina," He said forcefully. All eyes were on him. He glared at Quina, "Orders from Zidane. Cast Night. Now."

The Yans stared at Amarant, and Quina, a full pie shoved halfway in his/her mouth, chomped harshly on it and swallowed. S/he then asked, "What you talking about? Why I cast Night?"

"The longer you wait, Qu," Amarant hissed, "the faster I decide to slice you open for treason."

"You nasty slave driver!" Quina shouted. Nevertheless, s/he dropped the half-pie and hopped up. The Yans looked amongst each other, debating whether to kill the two or wait until further instructions. Garnet noticed that the Yan leader was nowhere to be found, and found that to be a blessing. She watched as Quina finished his/her casting, and suddenly, the sky turned from bright… to night…

The Yans chattered amongst one another, but the moment the sky turned dark, they all (even the Friendly Yan) looked up at the full moon in the sky. Vivi and Garnet looked down at the creatures. Each one had dropped to the floor, snoring loudly.

"What we do now?" Quina said, hopping off the altar with a sigh, "We leaving all good food now?"

"Unfortunately, Quina…" Garnet said, approaching the Qu and monk with the Friendly Yan in her arms and Vivi at her heels, "We need to go back to the Invincible now."

"Well, first we should take care of all these Yans," Amarant decided on a different course of action, "The last thing we need is for them to awaken and pursue us."

"Back Attacks are the worst…" Vivi murmured, wringing his staff, "What do you suppose we do, Amarant?"

"Dagger." The man pointed directly at the princess, who looked up at the monk with a blink, "You finally learned how to summon that dragon, right?"

"I have…" Garnet answered, not bothering to explain to the temporary leader that "the dragon" was Bahamut, "I suppose I could summon him. What about you though?"

"Honestly…" The monk groaned, "If I attack these things, they'll undoubtedly awaken and start countering like what happened before. Magic, on the other hand…"

"I get it!" Vivi said, "Dagger, let's work together, alright?" The princess looked down at the Black Mage, and nodded with a smile. After Garnet placed the Friendly Yan on the floor, the two then held out their hands and began to chant in unison.

---

Eiko continued to look up at the sky, and she wondered why it suddenly turned dark. There was a full moon out, "Hey guys…?" She said, attracting the others' attention, "Why is it turning night so quickly…?"

"Hmm?" Zidane looked up at the sky, and stared at the moon, "Yeah, that is a little weird, I wonder…" He dropped to the floor with a snore. Eiko gasped when Steiner fell down on his back, and Freya curled up, hugging her lance close to her. The White Mage realized that the night was made through magical means, and thanked her lucky stars that she was an Insomniac. She smiled mischievously and pulled out her flute.

"Yeow!" Zidane rubbed the lump on his head as he sat up, "W… what'd you do that for, Eiko?" The young man looked across the way and saw why she hit him on the head. She slammed her flute on the other two, awakening them from their slumber. The Summoner placed her hands on her hips and smiled at the Genome, "Heh… sorry for passing out like that."

"Don't mention it!" She replied with a giggle. The four stood together, and the Summoner proclaimed the obvious, "If the sky is night now, I bet Quina's safe now. The only thing we have to do now is find where they are and we can escape!"

"Speaking of where they are…" Freya said, pointing upwards. Everyone followed her hand and Zidane's tail went from mildly excited (and upwards) to hiding between his legs. Bahamut was flying high above the group, and by the looks of his distance, the MegaFlare wouldn't directly hit them, but the fallout would definitely singe hairs and maybe melt armor. Even higher was a huge Doomsday meteor that was falling ever so slowly but surely.

"Dammit, that's no fair!" Zidane shouted, "They get to disappear in safety when Dagger summons and we have to sit around and get ourselves killed!"

"Duck and cover would be the correct choice of actions, rather than whine about things you can't change," The captain said, hoisting Eiko up by her wing ornaments. She screeched in anger from his treatment of her grandfather's gift, and the four went to find a suitable location to hide from the impending doom that the giant dragon and huge meteor was bestowing on the poor island. That suitable location was behind the nearest Yan dwelling. It was sad because that was the best suitable location they could get to before the dragon released his breath.

Zidane hissed and covered his ears as the shock pounded against them. He tried to ignore the rumbling of the entire world, and instead focused on Eiko, who had wrapped her arms around his vest and begun to shiver in fear. He could have sworn he heard her crying.

The entire ordeal passed with nary a scratch on the four, and they counted their blessings with gladness, "Hey, Eiko, it was okay…" Zidane said as the Summoner wrapped her arms tighter around the Genome and imagined that she was sleeping on her husband, "You didn't have to cry, I was there to protect you!"

Eiko's eyes shot open and she released Zidane, glaring at him furiously, "I was NOT crying, Zidane Tribal!" She said angrily, "I'm a big girl and I NEVER cry!"

"I'm sorry, excuse me," Zidane said with a chuckle, "But I could have sworn I heard someone crying…" He turned his head and smiled devilishly, "Was that you, Rusty? Do you want a hug to calm you down as well?"

"Honestly, Zidane…" Freya said as Steiner searched around to see if there were any enemies about, "Sometimes I can't decide if you're a child or an adult."

"Zidane, do you know this Yan?" The three looked up and saw the captain with a tiny, furry creature in the palm of his hand. Zidane wondered why Steiner called the tiny ball of lint a Yan, and suddenly saw a tiny goat head poke out of the fluff. It gave a wail and a cry similar to what the Genome had heard during the blast, "I found it hidden away in the dwelling next to us. It has the same colorings…"

"As our Yan friend…" Zidane breathed. He stood up and looked at the small animal, "Hey little one… do you know our friend?" The baby Yan simply sobbed, and the Genome rubbed his upper lip in thought, "He doesn't seem to be able to speak Common, like our friend…"

"But I simply cannot leave such a cute… I mean defenseless creature all alone," Steiner said, "Especially during such a dangerous time. I don't believe it is as harmful as the others. Should we take it with us?"

"Yeah, you didn't think the Yans were dangerous either…" Zidane muttered. Steiner ruffled the wool on the baby Yan and it cooed in amusement; it didn't seem as sad anymore. Maybe it was true that big men were really softies on the inside. The Genome smiled widely, and Steiner frowned at him, "Anyway, I GUEEEESS we can keep the little guy. I mean, he's all hung up on hanging with you… Just don't let it get in the way of your work, alright?"

Steiner looked at the baby Yan, and looked back at Zidane, "Right. I shall care for this little one and find a suitable guardian for it. Now, are we going to dawdle here or find the Princess?"

Zidane was already rushing off, "Hey guys! We're off to save Dagger!"

"Since when did the Princess need saving?" Steiner roared, rushing after the Genome with murder on the mind (but making sure to keep the baby Yan safe as he did so), "Is there something you're not TELLING me!?"

Freya and Eiko looked at each other, shrugged, and followed the men off with smiles on their faces.

---

Amarant, Quina, Vivi, and Garnet (with the Friendly Yan tucked in her arms) dropped to the floor, reappearing after the devastation they has caused. Not a Yan was in sight any longer, and the princess looked down in sadness, "I'm very sorry," She said to the Friendly Yan in her arms, "Your whole village… we destroyed it…"

"I wasn't very attached to it…" The Friendly Yan said in all honesty, "I just hope she's okay…"

"She?" Vivi asked as Garnet placed the Yan on the floor. He looked at the Black Mage and nodded.

"Yeah, she's my little sister," The Friendly Yan said. He looked away with a sigh, "She's been ill for the past few days… and I wanted to use a Diamond to heal her…"

"Well, things don't look good for her," Amarant said truthfully as he surveyed the wreckage of the village. The monk was awarded a baleful look from Garnet, "If she's sick and small, she probably was reduced to a…"

"Zidane!" Vivi suddenly shouted, waving his hand happily as the Genome came into sight. The three approached the thief (all but Quina, who was sobbing over the pastries that were destroyed by Garnet and Vivi's magic), and Zidane stopped short to smile at them.

"Hey all!" He said, heading straight to Garnet and praising the group's work, "You got Quina? Awesome! Everything went according to plan!"

"Zidane?" Garnet began. The thief gave her all ears, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

The Genome blinked, because he just heard that same sentence a few moments ago, "What are you talking about, Dagger?"

"I don't know… it's just that Steiner's running after you with murder on his mind," the princess smiled lightly, "I'm just wondering what you did to make him so mad…"

"Princess!" Steiner forgot about killing Zidane as he approached Garnet and saluted her, "I'm so happy you're alright. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you!"

"You did just fine, Steiner." Garnet smiled a bit. He really went above and beyond the call of duty today, even though he probably would shrug it off if she mentioned it. She then caught something in the knight's hand, and stood on her tip toes so she could look at it from a top-down view, "Hey, Steiner? Where did you get this?"

"This?" The knight ruffled the fluff of the baby Yan, and it poked its head out, crying out at the sight of an unfamiliar face. It then retreated into its wool and shivered, "I found it hiding away. It looks similar to our friend so I thought…"

"Sarisa!" The Friendly Yan cried. Sarisa poked her head out and cried out for her brother, and Steiner knelt forward, placing the baby Yan on the floor, "I got the Diamond for you, Sarisa, so you can recover!"

"So the Diamond was for this Yan?" Zidane asked. Garnet explained the two's relationship, and the Friendly Yan took the gem out and held it aloft (don't ask how, I'm not exactly sure either…). The familiar flash and twinkle of light appeared, and everyone looked down in surprise as the tiny Yan increased in size. Given she was still smaller than her brother; it was still amazing to see the tiny thing look much like an adult now.

"Brother, thank you so much for saving me," Sarisa said, "These people helped me. Did you get assistance from them as well?"

"Ahhh… yeah…" The Friendly Yan said, a little embarrassed, "I couldn't get the Diamond myself… I'm sorry, Sarisa, I failed you."

Sarisa shook her head, "No, it's alright, Brother. We are safe, and that's all that matters."

"Hey guys…?" Zidane said, rubbing his head, "Do you think you can tell us what's going on?" The Yans turned and looked to the Genome, "I mean, I know you're Yans… but you guys aren't… REALLY Yans… are you…?"

The siblings looked at each other, and Sarisa's brother stepped forward, "So… you figured it out, huh?" The group looked at the Yans as they began to speak, "It was a very long time ago. We were going to explore the Iifa Tree… even though it was forbidden to do so."

"Wait… as Yans?" Eiko asked.

"We're Dwarves, from Conde Piete," Sarisa said, "At least… we WERE before we ended up here…"

"We were in a boat! I made it myself!" Sarisa's brother said, "But I didn't know that the Iifa Tree was surrounded by cliffs. Before we could return home, we were caught up in a Tsunami caused by a ferocious sea serpent!"

"Leviathan…" Garnet murmured.

"And the next thing we knew, the giant wave left us stranded on this island. The Yans all welcomed us but Sarisa knew the truth. They were planning on killing the two of us. I used my abilities as a Morpher."

"Wait… Shapechangers exist?" Amarant said, entirely skeptical. Sarisa snorted (but thankfully didn't blow anyone away).

"Brother is one of the last Morphers alive. He was able to use his powers to change the two of us…"

"From Dwarves to Yans," Sarisa's brother finished explaining, "I was planning on keeping us this way for only a moment until we figured a way to escape… but…" he sighed, "without opposable thumbs… I wasn't able to construct another boat. It wouldn't matter anyway; we'd never be able to get it down the cliffs.

"We've been stuck this way ever since," He continued, "In fact, I don't even think I remember how to turn ourselves back."

"That is a dilemma…" Freya said, "Perhaps you could recover with a Remedy?"

"We've tried," Sarisa said, "from the corpses of others who have found their way on this island, but nothing's worked. Not Potions, Remedies, Mallets, or Elixirs."

"Then let's go," Amarant said, uncrossing his arms and leaving. Everyone stopped to look at him, and he stared at them, "What? If you want to take them along, then just say so. It's not like I care." The group blinked at the monk, surprised that he was so outgoing. It was scary because that was as outgoing as he was probably going to get.

"Well, you know, Sarisa…" The Friendly Yan turned to her sister, "Do you REALLY want to leave? I mean… it's not like we'll have anything to fear if we did."

Sarisa looked at the people who had helped both her and her brother, and she shook her head, "I'm sorry, everyone… but do you mind if we stay here?"

"Yeah, it's… kinda become our home…"

Zidane looked around at the smoldering wreckage, "Are you SURE?" He waved his hand around it, "I mean, look at this place!"

"I don't think you've realized," The Friendly Yan said with a smile, "but Yans are stronger than you think. They've bounced back from worse."

"We'll just head to another village," Sarisa said. The group blinked, "Yeah, this forest has at least thirty Yan Villages, all around the place." Everyone stared at the Yans, and they laughed, "You actually thought you beat all the Yans around here? If you don't leave soon, I bet hundreds more will come here to check on the place."

"I agree wholeheartedly with Amarant!" Zidane said suddenly, pushing Garnet towards the direction of the Invincible, "Come on everyone! Let's go! Hurry hurry hurry!"

"Oh, before you go…" The Friendly Yan began, taking a step forward. Zidane turned impatiently around, and the Yans smiled at their friends, "I wanted to tell you about our legend! The Yans say that there's a big Round Guy in the sky. I bet your hearts are so pure, you can definitely fight him now!"

"Just great, thanks for the info," Amarant said quickly and dismissively, sauntering off. The Yans hopped in the air, as if to wave goodbye as the eight trudged away, tired and in pain.

"I never want to go training again…" Eiko groaned, "Give me those Grand Dragons and Quina's LV5 Death anyday…"

"I don't know…" Zidane said, his tail flicking back and forth, "That Round Guy our friend talked about… I bet Choco could go in the sky and we could find him! Wouldn't it be cool if we could fight and beat him?" He stopped when he got glares from each and every other member of the group. He sighed and looked away dejectedly, "It was only a thought…"

"Please… Zidane," Garnet said, "Let us have a rest before we even think about doing something suicidal again."

"And this time, don't take the Princess!" Steiner said, "The last thing she needs is to get hurt because of your idiocy!"

"Alright! Alright, I get it!" Zidane shouted. Jeez, his friends were so annoying sometimes…

Maybe he should have taken the Yans along to fight that round guy instead…

The End!

---

OMG do u no wat teh round guy is?

Anyway, if you actually finish the Friendly Monster sidequest... Ozma becomes like super easier.

Try it out sometime. You may actually end up beating him after that.

Anyway, reviews aaaare appreciated!


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